Draft gear for railway cars



AprilA 16, 1940.

`w. T. STEPHENS DRAFT GEAR RoR RAILWAY cARs Filed Aug. 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l )Ill lmventor (Ittomeg.

April 16, 1940. w. T. STEPHENS DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ww QN NN ww K NN sm. www F` mw. Nw.

Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITEDl STATES `PATENT OFFICE DRAFT GEAR Fon RAILWAY -cAns Willie T. Stephens, Abbeville, S. C. Application August 14, 1939, serial No. 290,065 1 claim. (ci. 213-46) The present invention relates to improvements in draft gear for railway cars, and has for an object to provide a spring draft gear which will absorb the shocks and jars and the vibration incident to the starting and stopping of passenger and freight trains, including the long modern freight trains of heavy and heavily-laden cars.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring-suspended draft gear for vehicles of any kind in which a cushion will be interposed between the vehicles coupled together so that the pulling or pushing strains may be absorbed in the convolutions of the springs and minimized or eliminated in their transfer to the sills and bodies of the cars. v

A further object of the present invention is to provide a draft gear structure for freight and other cars which will not only minimize the shocks to the cars but also save the draft gear and consequently reduce damage through breakage of draw heads, draw bars and other parts which are subjected to severe shocks particularly when freight cars are coupled by the method of putting the freight car in motion and then releasing it to run against a string of cars to which it is to be coupled to form a train.

The invention also contemplates an installation on railway freight and other cars which will reduce damage and rough-handling claims as to thel merchandiseshipped in the freight cars.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto.-

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view with parts broken 49 away and parts shown in section of the chassis of a railway car showing a device according to the invention, applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical. section taken on the line 2-2 in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a similar section taken on the line 3-4 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 4-4- in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar section taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is also a transverse vertical section taken on the line 6-6 in Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 designates the side sills and 8 and 9 the end 55 sills which compose generally the conventional frame of a railway passenger or freight car; and I0 and II represent the vertical webs of the center sills, which as more particularly shown in Figure 5 are spaced apart at the center portion of the car and have their flanges I2 and I3 disposed mutually outward. Y

At one end of the car is a draw head I4 carried upon the draw bar I5. This draw bar I5 has a slidable and loose fit through an opening IB in the transverse sill 8.

Such draw bar I5 is of substantial length and it slidingly fits in the space between the webs I0 and II of the center sills, being guided generally but with some looseness by a transverse draft key I'I which fits through an opening I8 in the draw bar I5, such opening being slightly wider than the diameter of key I1 to allow for a certain loose play.

The key I1 slides in slots I9 and 20 in the Webs I0 and II of the center sills. As shown in Figure 2, the shank I'I of the draft -key is preferably rectangular in cross section with its longer sides parallel and horizontal and sliding rather snugly in the upper and lower walls of the slots I9 and 20. The opening' I8 is slightly wider in the horizontal dimension than the horizontal width of the key I1 which produces the loose play heretofore referred to in the horizontal sense and direction.

At one end the draft key I'I may be formed with a head 2| larger than the slot 20 so as to confine the key against casual or accidental movement through the slot 20.

At its other end the key I1 may be fitted with a block 22 which serves the same purpose with reference to the slot I9. A cotter'pin 23 or other form of fastening device may pass through both the 'key I'I and the block '22 for the purpose of removably holding the latter upon the key.

The shank II of the draft key forms, besides a guide for the draw bar I5 at an intermediate portion thereof remote from its bearing in the opening I6, an abutment for the two proximate ends of coil springs 24 and 25. The end convolutions of these springs abut against the flat vertical faces of the key II and thehelices of the coil springs 24 and 25 are coiled about the draw bar I5. .'Ihe outer spring 25 has its outer helix abutting against the inside of the sill 8 or against a plate 26 provided at this point. e

The inner end of the companion coil spring 24 abuts against a block 21 aiiixed in any suitable manner to the center sills I0 and II and having an opening through which the inner end portion of the draw bar I5fslides and has albearing. A

cotter key 28 in the end of the draw bar I5 may prevent the withdrawal outwardly of such draw bar. Therefore it will be seen that the inner end of this draw bar is floating and that it may have a certain range of sidewise movement due to the enlargements of openings I6 and I8 heretofore referred to.

At the other end of the car is a draw head 29 on the end of a sliding draw bar 38 which is fitted rather tightly through an opening 3I in the cross sill 9. This draw barl 38 is not as long as the companion draw bar I5, and unlike the latter, the draw bar 38 is formed with a vertically thickened and reinforced portion 32 in order to better withstand the formation of the slot 33 which is elongated in a horizontal direction as compared with the horizontal width of the transverse draft key 34. The shank of this draft key is also formed substantially rectangualr as indicated invFigures 2 and 3. There is a substantial amount of loose play between the horizontal dimension of draft key 34 and the end walls of the slot 33. An enlarged head 35 is formed on the thickened part 32 of the draw bar 38, which enlarged head 35 is at the innerend of slot 33 and adapted to receive the impact of the shank of the transverse draft key 34.

The draft key 34 extendsslidably in slots 36 land 31 made in the webs of the center sills, such slots being located horizontally to both sides' of the key 34 so that like the slots I9 and 28 they permit the key to have a wide range of horizontal One of the cross-heads 38 carries trunnionsv 43 and 44 to freely penetrate for a distance into the end convolutions of coil springs 45 and 46.

At its outer, end the coil spring 45, or rather the end convolutions thereof are received over a trunnion 41 which may be carried by the sill 9 or other appropriate part of the frame work of the car. The proximate en'ds of the trunnions 43 and 41 will always be remote to permit the coil spring 45 to compress.'

The inner end of the inner coil spring 46 as to its end convolutions is received over and guided by a trunnion 48 which is carried by a casting or other appropriate part 49 axed by bolts 58 or other appropriate fastenings to the web of the center sill on its outer side.

On the opposite side of the device, the crosshead 39 carries trunnions 5I and 52 for receiving the near end convolutions of coil springs 53`and Other trunnions 55 and 56 receive the opposite I or remote end convolutions of these springs and are respectively carried by the transverse sill 9 and a block or casting 51 aiixed as by bolts 58 or other appropriate fastenings to the outside surface of the opposite center sill.

Whereas at one end of the car the draw bar I and its coil springs are disposed centrally in the line of draft and confined in the space between the Webs of the Ytwo center sills of the car frame, at the opposite end `of the .car the draw bar 38 alone slides Within this center space and along this center line, but the springs for cushioning its movement are disposed outsidef the center line of draft and outside the space between the center sills.`

Infact the outside walls of the vertical webs I8 and II of the center sills are utilized in part to guide the axial movement of the coll springs. the tendency of which, on compression, is to diverge from the true axial line or to-buckle or bulge outwardly, which is detrimental to the spring action which it is their function to perform.

The coil springs 24 and 25 at the right hand e'nd of the car will be guided throughout their entire length by means of the draw bar I5 which passes entirely throughout the helices thereof. But in the case of the springs at the other end of the car, these springs are only guided as to their end convolutions by the trunnions extending for a short ways thereinto, leaving the balconned except by the webs of the center sills. The webs I2 and I3 of the sillswill prevent the center portions of these springs from buckling up or down unduly and I have provided guards for preventing the outward bulging of the springs such guards consisting of plates 59 amxed to the sills or to other appropriate partsv and having upwardly extending and curved spaced lingers 68 having slots 6I therebetween. f

These fingers will be slightly spaced from the coil springs so as not to interfere with the coil springs growing in diameter to some extent but the fingers are wide enough to span at least two convolutions of the spring to prevent the spaces between the convolutions bridging over the fingers 68. 1

'I'he slots 6I preferably open upwardly through the upper edge of the guards. These open ends and the slots 6I permit of inspection of the springs, and also prevent foreign matter from wedging between the guards and the springs to the possible detriment of the movement of the convolutions, and such slots and openings per-y mit of the insertion of instruments between the fingers 68 to clean out the springs or to free the convolutionsrthereof from the guards.

In the use of the device, both 'draw bars will be cushioned in the movement in the'line of the draft both inwardly and outwardly. The coil spring 25 will be compressed between the draft key I1 and the cross sill 8 when the draw bar I5 is pulled outwardly as in the act of starting the car from a standing position; or when accelerating the speed of the train when moving in the rigit2 hand direction as viewed in Figures 1 an v The coil spring 25 is in realityY not connected anywhere to the draw bar I5 but reacts against cross sill 8 and draft key I1. Coil spring 24 engages against the opposite s ide of key I1 and pushes against block 21.

rwhen ears collide and draw bar l5 is pushed inwardly, that is shifted to the left in Figure 1, the key I1 compresses coil spring 24 against fixed abutment 21 and cushions this inner movement. The draw bar and its key I1 virtually float between the springs 24 and 25. Any binding tendency is overcome by `the loose play of the draw bar I5 in the opening I6 and the loose play afforded by the slots I8, I9 and 28.

'I'his right hand construction may be used for passenger car rigging or light vehicles, and it ance or intermediate portions of the springs unmay be used `at one or both ends of the car.

Preferably it will be usedn conjunction with end of Figure 1. The term side spring arrangement is used in 4contradistinction to the center spring arrangement where the coil springs 24 and 25 are centrally of the line of draft as shown at the right hand side of Figure 1. A certain cooperation exists between the two forms of devices when mounted upon the same car or vehicle.

In the operation of the side form of spring as shown atthe left hand side of Figure l, when strain is put upon 'the draw bar 30 to draw the same out, that is in a left hand direction, the draft key 34 and the connected cro'ss heads 38 and 39 will be drawn upon compressing the coil springs 45 and 53 and thus cushioning this action and absorbing the shocks and jars incident thereto and minimizing these shocks and jars as far as the body of the car or vehicle is concerned, and in many cases eliminating such shocks and jars from being transmitted to the car or vehicle. When the draw bar 30 is moved in the other direction, that is in the right hand direction as viewed in Figure 1, as when cars are driven against one another for the purpose of coupling the same into a train, the draft key 34 with its cross-heads 38 and 39 will be moving to the right thus compressing the springs 46 and 54, these springs thus absorbing the shocks and jars and minimizing and eliminating at times the impression of those shocks transmitted to the car or vehicle.

The spring devices at opposite end of the car will cooperate-in that when a pull is exerted to the right on draw bar I5 it will not only compress its spring 25, as heretofore described, but it will also compress the springs 45 and 53 of the left hand side spring device because of the attachment of the draw head 29 to the draw head of the next car to the left, the inertia of said next car creating a movement of draft key 34 to the left and compressing springs 45 and 53. In like manner shocks and jars coming' from a right hand direction against the right hand end of draw bar I5 and transmitted to the car will tend to compress springs 46 and 54 at the other end of the car due to the fact that the car tends to moveto the left along draw bar 30, the draw bar being held stationary by the inertia of the next car to the left which is coupled to draw head 28. The right hand device comprises the springs 24 and 25 at one end of the car, being centrally disposed, and between the pairs of side springs of the device at the left end of the car, tends to stabilize the device at the left and the device at the left tends to stabilize the right hand central device, the line of thrust being in three planes, the one plane being. a central plane at one end of the car and at the other end of the car there being two parallel planes `oi'set to opposite sides of the said central plane.

The loose slot I6 at the one end and' the tight slot 3I at the other end will tend to permit of the adjustment and accommodation of the draw head I4 while the draw head 28 will be held to a central alinement so that a certain lateral exibility will be permitted by the contribution of the two devices at opposite ends of the car.

The fact that the opening 3l is tight will not have any binding eect upon the coil springs or the cross-heads because of the loose play of slot 33 and of -the slots 36 and 31 and of the loose -plate of the trunnions of the cross-heads in the near ends of the coil springs.

With the use of the springs the train may be started with less effort and with no hard knocks on loading or passengers. When switching cars in yards or making cars into trains, the cars equipped with the improved device will easily stand a shock of say twelve to fifteen miles per hour without breakage' to draw heads or other parts.

'I'he springs also eliminate shocks due to shifting of light merchandise and rough freight and will eliminate' many damage claims and claims for rough handling of merchandise.

The draft keys have play to move with the springs in order to give springs full advantage.

It is obvious that Various changes and modifll center sills with slots therein, a transverse key A slidably and non-rotatably mounted in said slots, a draw bar extending between said center sills connected with said key and slidable through an opening in said end-sill, cross-heads on the end portions of said key, coil springs on each side of said crossheads and lying outwardly of said sills, means carried by said cross-heads and sills for supporting and positioning. said coil springs, each. of said center sills including a vertical wall and top and bottom outwardly extending horizontal parallel webs, said vertical wall and webs providing generally a housing for one of said coil springs, saidspring extending longitudinally of and close to said vertical wall, whereby the vertical wall acts as a guide for the spring during its axial movement, said top web overlying and being close to said spring, thereby preventing undue upward buckling of the spring, said bottom web underlying and being close to said spring, thereby preventing undue downward buckling of the spring, and a guard for each spring fixed to the lower part of each sill and extending outwardly and thence upwardly in spaced substantially parallel relation to the vertical wall of the center sill, the upper free portion of each guard being slotted at regular intervals to provide spaced fingers, said lingers being slightly spaced from its spring, thereby permitting the spring to enlarge its diameter to some extent and at the same time preventing undue outward bulging of the-spring, said fingers terminating at points below the top of the spring and being sumciently wide to span at least twoy convolutions of the spring.

i WILLIE T. STEPHENS. 

